1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to floor tiles. More specifically, the invention is directed to a resilient floor tile having a contoured edge and a method for making the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Resilient floor coverings are produced in the form of a continuous sheet or in the form of a tile, such as a vinyl composition tile. Typically, resilient floor tiles are installed in a butt-fit arrangement, wherein the side of each tile is in physical contact with the sides of adjacent tiles. The tiles are secured to the subfloor through the use of an adhesive; however, there is typically no filler or adhesive used between the adjoining sides of the tiles. As such, one disadvantage of this type of installation is the presence of gaps or openings at tile joints, which may result from an uneven cut along the side of a particular tile during manufacture, an uneven subfloor or thermal contraction of the tiles. Another disadvantage of this type of tile and installation is maintaining each tile at the same height on the floor as the tiles adjacent to it. If one tile is slightly higher than an adjacent tile, a “step” is created between these tiles, which may result in chipping or breakage of the tile portion that is higher than the surface of the adjacent tile. In addition, the side of the tile that extends above the adjacent tile surface may also act to trap dirt along that side, which is typically difficult to remove.
Regardless, attempts have been made to manufacture and install resilient floor tiles to simulate the appearance of ceramic tiles or natural tiles, such as stone tiles, including marble, slate and granite, all of which are typically more expensive than a resilient tile floor. For example, resilient tiles may contain a decorative ink pattern to simulate the surface appearance of ceramic or natural tiles, or they may contain other decorative elements, such as small particles, to similarly simulate the appearance of ceramic or natural tiles. Additionally, some resilient tiles are embossed to simulate the grout that is used between ceramic and natural tiles when installed as a flooring. However, these attempts have never quite matched the appearance of a ceramic or natural tile nor the appearance of a flooring having grout between such ceramic or natural tiles.
One might consider installing existing resilient floor tiles with grout; however, there are several disadvantages to this due mainly to the square edge of the resilient floor tile. First, the square edge would make it difficult to properly place the grout between the tiles so that the grout does not pull out as additional grout is laid. Second, grout will typically shrink in size such that the top of the grout would be below the top surface of adjacent tiles, making the exposed vertical edge of the tile more susceptible to damage and collection of dirt along this edge. Also, particles may be dislodged from this edge by foot traffic and dragged across the top surface of the tile, thereby abrading, marring or scuffing its surface.
Some resilient floor tiles have been made with a beveled or flat, slanted edge. However, in these cases, when the beveled portion is cut, the underlying substrate is exposed, which requires additional processing to cover it up. For example, a paint or coating must be applied to cover this exposed area, which may be a different color from the top surface, thereby failing to simulate a natural stone or ceramic tile appearance, which has a consistent color across its surface. While these tiles are typically installed in a butt-fit arrangement, if grout were used the flat surface of this beveled portion will most likely result in the same difficulty in installing the grout as with a square-edged tile since the edge where the beveled portion meets the vertical side wall of the tile will still be a sharp edge.
Therefore, there is a need for a resilient floor tile that in use more closely simulates the appearance of a ceramic or natural tile and that can allow for installation using grout.